Notes and Queries, Number 50, October 12, 1850 by Various
page 34 of 68 (50%)
page 34 of 68 (50%)
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1. Engelmann is not, strictly speaking, a bookseller, and his catalogues
are not booksellers' catalogues in the sense in which that term is generally received here. He is a publisher and compiler (and an admirable one) of general classified catalogues for the use of the trade and of students, without any reference to his stock, or, in many instances, to the possibility of easily acquiring copies of the books enumerated: and although he _might_ execute an order from his catalogues, getting orders is _not_ the end for which _he_ publishes them. 2. Some foreign houses in London, as well as in other countries, bought a large number of his Catalogues, not as a _book_ but as a _catalogue_, to be supplied to their customers at the bare cost, or, where it appears advisable, to be delivered gratis to purchasers of a certain amount. 3. It appears to me pardonable if, under these circumstances, a notice is inserted on the title, that orders may be directed to the house which has purchased a number, and supplies them without any immediate profit; and I may add that I do {313} not believe any of the houses concerned would object to a notice being taken of such a proceeding in your paper. 4. The error in omitting the words "from 1700" on the title-page, is one to which MR. DE MORGAN'S notice first directed my attention, classics printed before that date not being commonly in demand among foreign booksellers. 5. The practice of compiling catalogues for general use, with the names of the purchasers of any number of copies of the catalogue inserted on the title or wrapper, is very common in Germany. |
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